Apparatus for flushing water-closets.



PATENTED MAY 31, 1904;

- I I A; LA BONTE.

APPARATUS FORFLUSHING WATER GLOSETS.

APPLIGATION FILED OUT. 12 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1;

N0 MODEL.

3: 9% MM Agg THE Noams PETERS c0, Puorouwoq WASHINGTON. n. c.

Tamil whom it may concern:

- Fig. 1 of a small water-motor employed on my apparatus for automatically controlling UNITED. STATES,

Patented. May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPHUS'LA BONTFI, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FORFLUSHING wATER-cLosETs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LetterslPatent No. 761,509, dated May 31, 1904.

Application filed October 12, 1903.

Be it known that I, ADoLrHUs LA Boivtrii, of the city and county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in Apparatus for Flushing Water-Closets, and I do hereby de: clare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description thereof,reference being-had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure l'represents a side view of my said improved flushing apparatus. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section therethrough. Fig. 3 is a top or plan View of the valve-operating mech-' anism of the apparatus looking in the direction of arrow a, Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is afront end view of said valve-operating mechanism looking in the direction of arrow 6 in said Fig. 1, also showing part of the flushing-tank. Fig. 5 is a side View opposite from that shown in the amount of water discharged at each flush. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the flushpipe, taken on lin'ec, Fig. 5, looking down, as indicated by arrow c, and showing a top or plan view of the partsshown in said Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a central section taken on line d, Fig. 3, showing a similar view to Fig. 2 of the valve-operating mechanism with the valve open, in Fig. 2 said valve being shown closed. My invention relates to flushing apparatus having a direct-pressure tank-supply; and it consists of a tight water reservoir or tank having supply and discharge pipes connected therewith, the supply being regulated by a suitable valve of usualconstruction and the discharge by a valve attached to the inner end of a horizontal spindle connected with mechanism for operating the same, as hereinafter described. 7 It also consists in combining with a flushpipe a water -'motor operated by-the water passing through the same and having connection with the valve operating mechanism above referred to, whereby said mechanism may be automaticallyoperated to close the valve which controls the discharge, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

To enable others to better understand the Serial No. 176,668. (No model.)

'made atight compartment and has connected therewith near the bottom a supply-pipe B, provided with an ordinary regulating-valve B.

C, is the flush-pipe connected with the hub A of tank A and having the head 0 provided with a horizontal opening therethrough to receive the spindle D of valve D. Said valve is preferably conical shape, pointing inward towardthe tank, so as to present as little resistance as possible to the Water discharged around the same. Its outer vertical surface D is ground perfectly fiat and smooth and fits against a correspondingly-formed flat surface or seat A formed on the hub A, said surface being in practice so nicely fitted that a watertight joint is produced Without the use of pack-' ing. I also find in practice that no paekingis required aroundthe spindle D where it passes through the opening in the head C of flushpipe C, for the reason that the water flows out freely through said flush-pipewith comparatively little resistance, owing to the size of said pipe.

The flush is produced by moving the valve D inward from its seat- A and closed by drawing it outward against said seat. by mechanism constructed, arranged, and op: erated-as follows: The outer end of head C is slotted vertically, thus forming two bearings C C to receive and support a transverse bolt E. Upon said bolt between said bearings is This is done mounted a cam F, having slotted eccentric disks G G, secured one at each side thereof. The periphery of said cam is adapted to bear when rotated against the periphery of a friction-roll H, mounted upon a small spindle I, in turn mounted transversely in the outer end of the valve-spindle D. If preferred, the friction-roll H may be dispensed with and the cam arranged to bear directly against the end of spindle D. The outer ends of said spindle I fit in the slotsG G of disks G'G. By this construction it is obvious that when the cam and its segment eccentric disks G G are turned in one direction the spindle D and its valve D are moved inward by the cam F bearing on the friction-roll H, thereby opening the waterway and producing the flush, and when said cam and eccentrics are turned in the opposite direction said spindle and valve are drawn outward to close said waterway by the disks drawing upon the ends of spindle I, the slots 1 G therein being upon an eccentric, as is shown by Figs. 1, 2, and 7 of the drawings, and thus causing said outward longitudinal movement of said spindle and valve by the ends of said spindle following in said slots G In practice said cam and slots are made of the proper shape to open and close the valve by the operation thereof, as above described. Said cam and eccentric disks are operated to open the valve by means of a lever J, connected at one end to said cam and to whose outer end is connected the usual chain K and pull L for operating said lever by hand. Said valve is closed automatically by means of a suitable spring connected with said lever and with some stationary part of the apparatus. In this instance I have shown a torsion-spring M for this purpose, the same being arranged over bolt-E, between the head C of flush-pipe C and the hub of lever J, as is shown in Figs.

' 3 and 4, one end being in practice fastened to said lever and the other end to said head C.

l The chain K, which is fastened to the outer end of lever J, is in practice carried over a friction-pulley; but for convenience in illustration it is not shown.

Ordinarily I design to use only the valveoperating mechanism hereinbefore described, the lever J being pulled over by hand from the position shown by full lines in Figs. 1, 3, and lto that shown by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 7 to open the valve, as is shown in said Fig. 7 and there held for the desired duration of flush and then released when'the spring M swings the lever back into its normal position to close the valve, as is shown in Fig. 2. In some instances, however, in practice it is desirable to provide an automatic flushing apparatus, and to accomplish this result I combine with the flush-pipe C a water-motor N, whose wheel O is provided with pivoted blades O, as is shown in Fig. 2, the purpose of pivoting said blades being to permit them to swing out from a tangential to nearly or quite a radial line with the wheel as they come in line with the waterway in the rotation of wheel 0, thereby obtaining the full force of the water to turn said wheel and a free discharge from said wheel into the lower flush-pipe, and, furthermore, causing less water friction and resistance in turning the wheel on the side opposite from its working side, the blades of the wheel partially folding into a tangential position by bearing on the inner surface of the wheel-case P, as is also shown in said Fig. 2, thereby also preventing the water from backing up around said wheel.

One of the ends of the spindle 0 upon which. wheel 0 is mounted is provided with a worm-gear O", which engages with a wormwheel Q, mounted upon a spindle R, fitted to turn in suitable stationary bearings. (See Figs. 1, 5, and 6.) To said worm-wheel Q is eccentrically pivoted the lower end of a vertical connecting-rod S, which is operated up and down by the rotation of the water-wheel through the connection described. The upper end of the rod is held in proper position by a suitable guide S.

The disks G G are each provided with a notch or shoulder G which catches over a pivoted pawl T and holds the lever in an elevated position with the valve open until said pawl is tripped to release said disks. This is done by the upper end of the rod S coming in contact with the free end of said pawl, which forces up said end, so as to disengage it from the notches on the disks, thereby allowing spring M to close the valve, as previously described, ready for the next flush.

By the use of said water-motor the valveoperating mechanism may be automatically controlled to discharge any desired amount of water at each flush by so constructing the parts in practice as to produce said flush. As said water-motor does not constitute an essential feature of my invention, I reserve the right to employ the same or not on the apparatus.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A flushing apparatus comprising in combination the reservoir or tank A, its supplypipe B, discharge-pipe (J, having the head 0, spindle D, fitted therein and valve D mounted upon the inner end of said spindle D cam F and slotted disks G G, mounted on bolt E, said cam and disks being arranged to engage with the outer end of spindle D, said bolt E, mounted in the outer end of head (1 lever J, mounted upon bolt E, and means for operating said lever substantially as set forth.

2. A flushing apparatus comprising in combination the reservoir or tank A, its supplypipe B, discharge-pipe C, having the head C, spindle D fitted therein; valve D, mounted upon the inner end of said spindle, camF and slotted disks G G mounted on bolt E, said cam and disks being arranged to engage with the outer end of spindle D; said bolt E mounted in the outer end of head C, lever J mounted on bolt E means for operating said lever J, water-motor N, connected with flushpipe C and consisting of wheel 0, having pivoted blades O, gear mechanism for eccentrically connecting wheel 0 with connectingrod S, said rod S, spring-pawl T, pivoted to head C, adapted to engage with notches on disks Gr G and with which the upper end of rod S engages, substantially as set forth.

3. In a flushing apparatus, the combination of slotted disks Gr Gr, valve D and spindle D flush-pipe'C, its head 0 and spring-pawl T, guiding it in its ertical movements,'substan pivotgd to slaid hefiid, witlwatgr-motor N Contially as set forth. necte witi us -pipe an consisting of r Wheel 0, having pivoted blades 0, gear mech- ADOLPHUS LA E' 5 anisrn for eccentrically connecting Wheel 0 .Witnesses:

With connecting-rod S, said rod S,- arranged A. A. BARKER, to engage With pawl T and having means for W. B. NOURSE. 

